Wave of WhatsApp Scams in Elche: How They Take Over Your Account to Ask Your Contacts for Money

Cybercrime is on the rise. In the digital age, online scams have become a threat to citizens and a headache for authorities. These fraudulent practices often appear through fake emails, phone calls, social networks, or even WhatsApp.

A wave of scams targeting users of this channel left many victims in Extremadura last October. Now, the trap has reached the province of Alicante, specifically Elche, where a large number of complaints have been registered in recent weeks, according to sources from the Alicante Provincial Police Station.

In this scam, criminals impersonate friends or family to deceive the victim and take control of their account. This way, they can access your contacts and use your identity to ask them for money.

First, the scammer steals the account of someone you know and trust. They gain access to their WhatsApp account and thus have access to saved messages and phone numbers. Then, they write to you. Since it's someone you know, you don't suspect. They tell you they've lost their phone or are trying to recover their account from a social network, and they ask for a code you'll receive via SMS.

This message arrives on your phone via SMS and says, for example: "Your WhatsApp account is being registered on a new device. Do not share this code with anyone. Your code is 000-000." The scammer tries to speed up the situation by pretending urgency or seriousness.

You've fallen for it. You give them the code and lose your account. That number they ask for is what allows them to open your own WhatsApp account on another phone. By giving it to them, the scammer takes control of your account. In a few seconds, you're disconnected and can no longer use the app, warns the Police.

Now you are the victim. The criminal will use your identity to write to your contacts, ask for money, or repeat the scam with them. Additionally, they can see your message history and use it to make everything seem more real.